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Before you consider painting them, use a Mr. Clean type "magic eraser" on the scuff marks. They may come right off if there is not truly damage going all the way through the paint.
What kind of paint was/is on there. Oil or latex? Is it peeling or chipping? Is there any damage that needs to be fixed? Gloss or semi gloss. Does it need to be prime red or sanded so the new cost won't peel? Ugly baseboards in a otherwise clean house look like a sore thumb. Did you try soap and water cleaning or simple green?
If you can match the color touch it up. If not paint them. If you can't clean them.
Get some other quotes for paint. But 600 doesn't sound unreasonable. How good of a job do you want? Because you do get what you pay for.
I have to admit that I don't know the answers to those questions. I did not try washing them but definitely will.
I called around and 500$ is about average that I've been getting from painting companies. I was surprised that it was so expensive since I wasn't planning to spend that much.
I also need to paint the garage and it's also 500$. I'll just do it myself. But I'm not going to dare to paint trip especially since I have carpet and I'll just mess it up probably.
Wait, you never cleaned your baseboards while you lived there? Get the magic erasers. First dust them thoroughly then wipe with the erasers. Then see if you need paint after that.
You asked about paint codes to match, every house I have the inside are all painted the same color most are painted the same outside. Do it this way and you will never have to worry about it again.
I have to admit that I don't know the answers to those questions. I did not try washing them but definitely will.
I called around and 500$ is about average that I've been getting from painting companies. I was surprised that it was so expensive since I wasn't planning to spend that much.
I also need to paint the garage and it's also 500$. I'll just do it myself. But I'm not going to dare to paint trip especially since I have carpet and I'll just mess it up probably.
Reason I ask is if you have oil based paint you can't just slap on latex paint
600$ came from the handyman that the realtor recommended
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sabinerose
*Vigorously waves the red flag*
As I was reading this thread, I thought, uh oh, I wonder if the realtor has someone in mind to do the job... and then I read your post.
HUGE red flag, in my experience. My daughter hired a PM for her rental and they found all kinds of maintenance to do constantly, and at exorbitant prices.
This may not be the case with this realtor. But, if you get into a PM agreement with her, read the fine print carefully about maintenance and repairs. If it says she can order work done if it's deemed an "emergency" without getting your permission first, run the other way. The PM my daughter hired considered everything and emergency, and they depleted her account without every contacting her for permission to do so.
Crazy stuff like trimming a tree was an emergency, on and on. Right in the contract it said the PM gets a 10% supervisory fee, and no doubt kickbacks from the maintenance guys they hired, too, when they weren't using their own maintenance guy and charging outrageous fees.
Just saying, this may not be what your situation is, but be sure you really read your contract and be very clear that all repairs must be approved by you - emergency or not.
As far as the baseboards - would you rent the place with the baseboards as-is? If so, then don't paint them. They looked perfectly fine in the photo to me.
As I was reading this thread, I thought, uh oh, I wonder if the realtor has someone in mind to do the job... and then I read your post.
HUGE red flag, in my experience. My daughter hired a PM for her rental and they found all kinds of maintenance to do constantly, and at exorbitant prices.
This may not be the case with this realtor. But, if you get into a PM agreement with her, read the fine print carefully about maintenance and repairs. If it says she can order work done if it's deemed an "emergency" without getting your permission first, run the other way. The PM my daughter hired considered everything and emergency, and they depleted her account without every contacting her for permission to do so.
Crazy stuff like trimming a tree was an emergency, on and on. Right in the contract it said the PM gets a 10% supervisory fee, and no doubt kickbacks from the maintenance guys they hired, too, when they weren't using their own maintenance guy and charging outrageous fees.
Just saying, this may not be what your situation is, but be sure you really read your contract and be very clear that all repairs must be approved by you - emergency or not.
As far as the baseboards - would you rent the place with the baseboards as-is? If so, then don't paint them. They looked perfectly fine in the photo to me.
Excellent advice!
Thank you for posting this, it helps a TON, especially since I'm new to being a landlord.
I did notice that this realtor charges more than others for her services. For instance, other PMs that I talked about don't charge the monthly PM fee if renters are not paying rent. So the fee is only charged on the incoming rent payments.
The PM that I work with said that evictions require knowledge and skill, so we will be paying 8% no matter whether tenants are behind on rent or not :/
She sounds like she knows what she's doing and the previous renters were pretty good, but where is the fine line between charging extra for a superior service and just a plain old rip-off?
I am about to become a first time landlord, and hoping for a piece of advice from seasoned pros
My house is a cute, small (1300 ft2), 2002 construction home in a nice clean neighborhood.
I found a realtor who used to manage it before I bought it and seems like she did a good job. The previous tenants kept it in pristine condition, and I'd love for her to find tenants like that again.
So the realtor came out with a list of things that need to be cleaned up so that the house is in a perfect shape. She said that the better the shape the house is in, the better is our chance to find people who value that and will keep it up nicely.
One of the items was painting the baseboards. The ones I have right now are original white baseboards matching the doors. They are not in a bad shape but there are a few dark spots on them.
My question is: is it worth spending 600$ on painting the baseboards? Will it really affect the look of the house and spruce it up that much?
The total initial expenses are over 2000$ (yard work, painting, carpet cleaning, etc.) so I'm trying to save as much as possible without sacrificing the essential stuff that needs to be done. Are baseboards one of those essential items or not?
why is it going to cost $600 for you to paint your own baseboards? Paint is cheap and so is your labor. If you can't do it or don't want to do it, find someone you know and trust to do it.
To answer your question, yes, paint the baseboards...but dont' pay $600 to do it.
Excellent advice!
Thank you for posting this, it helps a TON, especially since I'm new to being a landlord.
I did notice that this realtor charges more than others for her services. For instance, other PMs that I talked about don't charge the monthly PM fee if renters are not paying rent. So the fee is only charged on the incoming rent payments.
The PM that I work with said that evictions require knowledge and skill, so we will be paying 8% no matter whether tenants are behind on rent or not :/
She sounds like she knows what she's doing and the previous renters were pretty good, but where is the fine line between charging extra for a superior service and just a plain old rip-off?
I don't like this. Does she get a separate fee for dealing with evictions, too? Does she get a month's rent every time a new tenant is found?
Why would I pay someone who is not collecting rent for me?
And she charges a higher fee whether she's collecting your rent or not? How does this make sense?
If I was offering my services as a manager, I would guarantee collection of your rent. I just see no incentive in this for her to find good tenants and make sure the rents come in and/or that there are no legal problems.
Like Oprah says, believe the first red flag...believe the second red flag....
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